Lost Love
by AlinaintheSky
Summary: Tasuki loses his best friend/crush when he's little. Will he find her again? And will she still like him? And what's her big secret? Tas/OC
1. Gone

Disclaimer: I do not own FY at all. I do own Akina and this story line, so get your own!  
  
"Tasuki!" she called playfully. "Look at this!" Tasuki walked over. He looked down at what Akina was pointing at. A frog! "I've never seen one this big! It's disgusting!" she remarked. Tasuki got a big grin on his face. "Oh, no! Don't! Aaaaaahhh!!!!" she screamed as Tasuki chased her around the field with the huge, slimy frog in his hands. After they were done running, they collapsed on their backs on the grass. They were still giggling. Tasuki loved being around her. She was so warm, so funny, and he loved when she called him Tasuki. It made his insides tingle.  
  
~~~~~~******~~~~~~******~~~~~~******~~~~~~******~~~~~~~  
  
Tasuki strolled confidently through the field. He knew what he wanted to tell her, but he didn't know how to tell her. Even though they were only 6, he knew he loved her. He spotted a patch of wild flowers. He smiled. 'Just like the older kids,' he thought. He picked a bunch for her, and strutted out of the field, heading towards her house. He thought he looked very grown-up. But when he got to his village, he stood gasping at what he saw.  
  
People dressed in black were raiding his village. They were slashing people and setting fire to houses. Tasuki ran to Akina's house, but it was on fire, too. He held back his tears.  
  
"Tasuki!" He looked over at a cart, and there was a man, who was trying to hold Akina back. But she was struggling to get free. Tasuki could see Akina's brother and sisters in the cart, too. The men raiding the village were trying to sell people, too.  
  
"Akina!" he yelled back. He started to run for the cart, but it began to move. "No!" he screamed as he ran after it. Akina's hand reached out behind the man, and Tasuki could see her face, streaked with tears. "Tasuki!" But he couldn't catch up. His lungs ached for breath against the wind, but he didn't stop. But he tripped and the cart sped away. He looked up in time to see Akina's face disappear over the horizon; the last time he would ever see her again. "Akina."  
  
~~~~~~******~~~~~~******~~~~~~******~~~~~~******~~~~~~*  
  
"Tasuki, come inside," his mother called. "It's not safe to be out side on the mountain this late." They had moved onto the mountain after the raid. Thankfully, Tasuki and his family had not been hurt, but Tasuki really didn't care. He lost the only thing he cared about.  
  
"I told you NOT to call me that," he said bitterly. He stalked out of the room. His mother watched him leave with concern on her face. Tasuki walked to his bedroom. "Hey, Tasuki, what's wrong now? Still thinking about your girlfriend?" his two older sisters taunted. Tasuki slammed the door in their faces, but not before giving them both a punch in the stomach. They were so surprised that he actually hit them, that they didn't bother him the rest of the evening.  
  
Tasuki looked at himself in his bucket of water. Yes, that was exactly what was bothering him. God, how he missed her. Since she left, he wouldn't let anyone call him Tasuki. That name was reserved for her, and her alone. He stared at his reflection.  
  
~~~~~~******~~~~~~******~~~~~~******~~~~~~******~~~~~~*  
  
Tasuki sat down under his favorite tree. He had hiked up the mountain and had been doing this everyday. He was about to open the lunch that he brought with him, when he heard a rustle in the bushes next to hi. He stood up, and braced himself. "Come out, whatever you are!" he called, sounding a little braver than he felt. There was a pause, and a boy stepped out of the bushes. Tasuki lowered his fists. "Who are you?" he asked. The boy appeared to be 8, the same age as him. "Kouji," the boy responded.  
  
"I've been watching you everyday for the last month, Huan-Lang. You live here alone?" Kouji asked Tasuki over the lunch they were now sharing. "No, I live with my family a little ways down the mountain side. What about you?" "I live with the bandits. They live near the top of the mountain. They are mostly older men, but the boss let me stay there with them. He's really cool," Kouji said. Tasuki nodded. Kouji told him more about the bandits. They sounded awesome! Tasuki and Kouji met for lunch every day. He liked him and the bandits (or what they sounded like) more and more as each day passed. He and Kouji were best friends.  
  
One day, while Kouji and Tasuki were eating lunch, Kouj said, "I told the boss about you. And he and I think that, well, um, we want you to come live with us," He finished in a rush and looked down at the ground. 'He's not gonna say yes. I shoulda never asked him,' Kouji thought. But Tasuki thought the exact opposite. 'Is he kidding? Of course I'll go! I can get away from my sisters and my mom! This is great!' Tasuki eagerly said yes, and the next morning, he left his house for the last time, as happy as could be. 


	2. It Was almost Her

Disclaimer: The only thing in this story that I own is Akina.  
  
Note: The meeting of Tasuki and Miaka has been modified from its original version. It has been formatted to fit this story.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Tasuki lay in his bed. It had been 12 years since he had left home with Koji. He remembered the first day he arrived.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Here he is, Boss," Koji said to a huge man. He turned around and looked Tasuki up and down. "Well, he is small, but appears to be built well. He will turn into a strong warrior. Tell me your name, boy."  
  
"Huan-lang," he said quietly.  
  
From that day on, Tasuki was one of the gang. The Boss took Tasuki under his wing. He taught Tasuki martial arts and how to use the tessen, a club- like weapon that spouted fire when you said the right words. Little did they know, someone watched from the shadows.  
  
Tasuki did grow to be a strong warrior. He excelled in the arts, and was a master at the tessen.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Tasuki rolled over. He loved the boss like a father. He had taken him under his wing and taught him everything he knew. But the day's events ran through his head.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Okay, now what are you going to do when your attacker comes at you like this?" the boss said, charging at Tasuki from behind and grabbed him in a bear hug. Tasuki reached up to his arm and pulled with all his might. He bent his shoulder down slightly and twisted his body. He flung the boss to the ground and looked down at him.  
  
"How's that?" he asked, smiling.  
  
"Very good, my boy," he answered, panting. He slowly got to his feet, still wheezing. Then he started to run towards Tasuki from the front, but stopped slowly. He bent over, coughing violently.  
  
'Whoa, I didn't fling him too hard, did I?' Tasuki thought. He walked over to his boss.  
  
"Boss, are you okay?' he asked worriedly. He turned his head away from Tasuki and coughed on his hand. When his hand came away, it was covered in blood.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked again, growing more worried each second. The boss stood up.  
  
"Yes, Huan-lang. I am fine. It is nothing." He wiped his hand on the back of his pants. "We are done for today. You can go back to your room." He hobbled out of the room towards his own bed. Tasuki looked after him, concern showing in his eyes.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Tasuki rolled over again. 'That wasn't nothing,' he thought. 'What's wrong with him?'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Over the next few days, the boss seldom came out of his room. He ate his meals alone, and didn't train Tasuki.  
  
"Koji. What's wrong with the Boss?" he asked one day.  
  
"There's a rumor goin' round that he's sick. He's gonna die soon and he's thinking of picking a new Boss."  
  
That afternoon, Tasuki was called to his Boss's room.  
  
"Tasuki, I know what people are thinking about me." Tasuki brightened up. His boss was gonna set them straight.  
  
"They are right." Tasuki's face fell. "What?"  
  
"I am sick. I will die soon. There is nothing you can do." He leaned back in his bed. "I need to pick a new boss. And I have made my decision." Tasuki looked down, ashamed. How could his boss just give up like that?  
  
"You." Tasuki looked up. "What? Me?" The boss nodded. "I have trained you well. It is time to take your rightful place." He coughed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Five days later, he was dead. At the ceremony, Tasuki stepped up to his body. He took the tessen from its scabbard on the old boss's back and held it up to the other bandits, as it was tradition. Then he stepped back down.  
  
After the ceremony, there was the traditional feast. Tasuki sat aside, not eating or talking. But others were talking.  
  
Rui-Ni and a few of his friends were off to the side, too.  
  
"Do we have the men assembled?" he asked, splashing wine into his mouth.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So its settled. We take over. Tonight." He smiled a huge drunk smile, and staggered off to join a drinking contest.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
That night, the feast was just ending when Rui-Ni made his move. One of his men pretended to be missing. Tasuki sent two men out to look for him. They didn't come back. Tasuki sent more guys. But still they didn't return.  
  
While Tasuki was distracted, Rui-Ni crept behind him and stole the tessen off of his back. Tasuki turned in time to be struck in the face by Rui-Ni. He stumbled back and stood next to Koji.  
  
"Looks like I'M the boss, now!" he laughed. His men came out of hiding and the man who pretended to be missing walked in the door with the other men who were sent to look for him. They were all with Rui-Ni.  
  
The few loyals who were with Tasuki gathered behind him.  
  
"Rekka Shin'en!" Rui-Ni yelled, and Tasuki and his men dived out of the way. Rui-Ni's men followed them, and Tasuki had to fight for his life.  
  
Tasuki and some of his men finally managed to escape to Tasuki's secret hideout.  
  
"What are we gonna do?" Koji said, panting. "He has the tessen."  
  
"I'm thinkin'! I'm thinkin'!" Tasuki yelled.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A few minutes later, Tasuki and the men had planned an ambush. They carefully sneaked back to the bandit hall. They watched from the shadows of a clump of bushes.  
  
The men were lazing around. Some of them were talking to two women they seemed to have captured. Rui-Ni was no where in sight.  
  
"Y'might be a little hard-bodied, but wench, yer hot!" (sound familiar? lol!) one of the men was saying to a tall, well-built woman. Tasuki took the chance. He motioned to his men and they quietly sneaked to the window. On the count of three, they jumped through the window and quickly captured the men. The ladies took action, but not like Tasuki expected.  
  
"Your Majesty!" one of them shouted as she threw a sword to the other. She caught it and quickly pulled her hair back. Or was it a he?  
  
"When 'dju get t'be MEN?" the captured men yelled. "Ew! And to think I was in love!" Tasuki looked at the women. The one with a sword pointed it at Tasuki's face. "Where is Miaka?" she said. But the voice was low, like a man's. The other woman looked exactly like a woman, except he was wearing man's clothes.  
  
"You're both men?' Tasuki asked with disbelief. They nodded. "Wow," Tasuki said, scratching the back of his head.  
  
"Now where is Miaka?" the one with the sword asked again. Tasuki shrugged.  
  
"I d'know. We just got here." He turned to one of the captured men. "Where is Rui-Ni?" The man quickly pointed toward the hallway. Tasuki left his men with the captured men tied to a pillar, and he, Koji, and two men went down the hallway. Tasuki heard sounds coming from the old boss's room. He nodded to Koji. He tried the door, but it was locked.  
  
"Step back," the second man said. Tasuki stepped back as the man stepped forward. He raised his hand high, and then back. It shot forward as quick as a flash, and there was a loud BANG! When the dust cleared, the door was in pieces on the floor. The man smiled and held his head high, very much like a woman. The first man stepped inside and then Tasuki followed. Rui- Ni was sitting, staring at them. A girl who was sitting to his right rushed forward and hid behind the man with the sword.  
  
Tasuki and Koji ran forward and attacked Rui-Ni before he could reach for the tessen. They easily knocked him down, but had a hard time wrestling the tessen from him. Rui-Ni had grabbed the tessen and was trying to use it, but Tasuki was holding it to his face, so if Rui-Ni set it on, he would burn himself. Finally, Koji knocked Rui-Ni out and Tasuki took the tessen from him.  
  
He and Koji stood and turned towards the men. They just stood there, but the first one quickly spoke.  
  
"Thank you very much. We are in your debt. I am Hotohori. Who are you?" he asked, bowing.  
  
"Koji," said Koji, also bowing. But Tasuki didn't move. He just stared at Hotohori.  
  
"Huan-lang," Koji hissed at him. He nudged him, but still Tasuki didn't move. He was staring at the girl behind Hotohori. Finally he whispered, "Akina?" so softly that no one heard him.  
  
The girl behind Hotohori stepped out. "Hi! I'm Miaka!" she said cheerfully. Tasuki blinked. Miaka noticed him staring at her and blushed.  
  
"Do you speak?" she asked. Tasuki blinked again. "What did you say your name was?" he finally gasped. She looked confused.  
  
"Miaka," she repeated. "Are you sure?" She thought for a minute.  
  
"I'm pretty sure. That's what my mom calls me, anyway." She smiled at Tasuki. He just stood there, frozen. Miaka's smiled slowly faded. Then she noticed his arm. His sleeve was rolled up.  
  
"Oh!" she cried and rushed up to him. She grabbed his arm. It held a symbol. "It's Tasuki!" she said, looking at him. Tasuki caught his breath. The way she said his name. He would let no one call him Tasuki. But from her it sounded like........like the girl he knew long ago. Tasuki continued to look at her, analyzing her through her eyes. She held a mischievous, but innocent look, full of happiness and curiosity. She looked exactly like Akina, but her eyes were missing something. Tasuki gazed at her with disappointment. It wasn't her. She wasn't the girl that haunted his dreams.  
  
He quickly gathered himself together. Then he realized what the girl had said. He looked in wonder at his arm.  
  
"You're Tasuki!" Miaka cried again. "You're the next Suzaku constellation!" Koji looked in shock at Tasuki, but he met the same look. "You never told me you were a warrior of Suzaku!" Koji said.  
  
"I-I didn't know. I've never seen that before!" Tasuki said in amazement. "The symbol shows up when you recognize your power," Hotohori said. He stepped forward. "Will you join us, Tasuki? We need to summon Suzaku." Tasuki looked dumbly at Koji.  
  
"I can't," he said finally. "I'm the new boss. I gotta look after the guys." "PLEASE?" Miaka cried. Tasuki looked painfully at her. He shook his head.  
  
"I'll look after the guys, Huan-lang. You go," Koji said. Tasuki looked at his best friend. Koji nodded and smiled. Finally, Tasuki nodded. He gave his best friend one last hug and left.  
  
"Hey, what about the tessen?" Koji called after him. "I thought the boss gets the tessen!" Tasuki looked back and smirked.  
  
"Yeah right. See ya." With that, he left.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Liss: I hoped you liked it. But I am very ashamed at you people, reading and not reviewing! How dare you! I would like to thank the two people who had enough decency to read AND review: ManyManlyYams and Rhapsody. Thank you so much! 


	3. Kidnapping again

Disclaimer: I do not own FY, but I do own Akina.  
  
A/N: Now, as I've told you, this story is different from the manga. Tamahome is here, not in Qu-Dong. It is different, so if something isn't exactly the same, don't flame. Ha, ha, I rhymed!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Tasuki! Where are you going?" Miaka called after his retreating back. "I need some sake," he muttered. He left the palace, trying his best to slam the huge door behind him, but failing miserably.  
  
"Damn doors-close so slow-" he muttered. He finally gave up pushing the heavy oak door and stalked out into the street. He wandered the streets, searching for a pub. Finally finding one, he went inside, plopped down on a seat at the bar, and ordered some sake.  
  
"Stupid git," he murmured to himself. "What's the deal with Miaka? I mean, all she does is hang over that loser. She deserves better. And this is ridiculous! We're never going to find Chiriko. I hate just waiting. I can't believe I left Koji!" He took a long drink.  
  
'What's so great about her, anyway?' he thought. 'I mean, all she does is eat and whine. She's stupid, and wears these weird clothes. Ya know, maybe I don't even like her! Yeah, that's it! I don't like her!' He smiled. Finally he had rid himself of her. But then her image floated into his mind. 'She doesn't have any good qualities!' he shook himself. 'Except for one.she looks like Her.' He sunk down in his seat and took another drink from his bottle.  
  
Unaware to his attention, the door opened behind him and a girl walked in. She sat down at the other end of the bar and ordered a drink. Then she spotted Tasuki.  
  
"What a weird guy!" she said to herself. "He's talking to himself! Wait a minute. So am I!" She giggled a little. She turned back to her drink. But her eyes kept wandering to that man. Who was he? He looked so familiar.  
  
"Tasuki?" Tasuki closed his eyes and groaned. "Look, I came here to be alone! Why can't you ever leave me alone, Mia--!" he started, turning around. He stopped in mid-sentence. "-ka." There was a girl staring at him. She looked exactly like Miaka. Even their voices were the same. But her eyes.they were different.  
  
"Akina?" he asked incredibly. "Oh my god, Tasuki, it is you!" she cried, running over and hugging his neck. He stood, speechless. It was her. Her smell, her hair, her eyes.it was really her. He stood, in utter bliss, shocked from it all.  
  
"Wow! You look different! A little more wild than I remember!" she said, laughing, staring at him. He was still frozen.  
  
"Where have you been?" she asked him. He just stood, chibi, staring at her. "Yeah, maybe I should be answering that question for you," she said, grinning.  
  
They sat down next to each other. "I worked for years for the guy who kidnapped me," she said. "What did you do?" Tasuki asked, finally getting his voice back. She looked at her drink. "Just.....stuff," she stuttered. "So what have you been doing, Tasuki?"  
  
It warmed him inside when she said his name. "I joined the bandits of Mt. -------. I was going to be the new boss there, but...." "But what?" she asked. He tried to find the words to say it.  
  
"I'm a celestial warrior of Suzaku," he said bluntly. "Wow!" she said. "Can I see your symbol?" He rolled back his sleeve and showed her his arm. "I don't remember seeing that when we were little," she said. "Yeah. I didn't even know I had it! It just appeared one day," he said. Without thinking, really, she touched it. Tasuki sighed softly. He still couldn't believe she was really here.  
  
//I cannot help it I couldn't stop it if I tried The same old heartbeat fills the Emptiness I have inside And I've heard that you can't fight love, So I won't complain 'Cause why would I stop the fire that keeps me going on//  
  
"Tomo, if this is an illusion, you're so dead," he muttered to the air. "What?" she asked. "Ah, nothing!" he said chibily.  
  
"So what happened?" she asked. "The priestess and some warriors just came one day. They showed me who I was, and I went with 'em. I was going to stay on the mountain, but I'm glad I didn't," he said, looking into her eyes. She blushed. "I'm glad too," she said.  
  
"So what are you doing now?" he asked her. "Oh, nothing. Just looking for work," she said. "And a place to hide," she muttered under her breath. "You should come to the palace. I bet they'd want to meet you. You could probably find work there, too," Tasuki offered.  
  
"Ah, okay," she said. They got up and headed for the palace.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Hi! I'm Miaka!" Miaka said with a lot of enthusiasm. "It's so nice to meet you!" She was practically jumping up and down and running around the walls. Akina looked worriedly at Tasuki, but he just nodded. "No, she's not completely insane."  
  
Akina shook Miaka's hand. "You have to meet everyone else!" Miaka cried dragging Akina through the palace. Tasuki followed them, keeping behind, so the others wouldn't know how close he was to Akina. He knew they wouldn't let him forget it, especially that slimy dumba$$ Tamahome.  
  
Akina met the others, and they liked her well enough. Then she met the emperor. She bowed in front of him.  
  
"Hello, Akina. I understand that you are looking for work?" he asked kindly. She nodded. "I think we can arrange something," Hotohori said. "Thank you, Your Majesty," she said, bowing again.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Later, Tasuki found Akina out in the courtyard. "Hey!" he said. "Hi," she said. "I was sooooo nervous in front of the emperor," she confessed. "It's okay. He's not that bad. The only thing you gotta watch out for is that he's really vain. A total narcissist. If you really wanna get on his good side, give him a mirror." Akina laughed.  
  
"Tasuki? Can I ask you something?" "Sure." "Why did you join the bandits? Did something happen?" Tasuki hesitated. "Yeah. Something happened," he said. It wasn't a lie; it was just not the exact truth she was looking for. "What? Did something happen to your family? Is everyone okay?" she asked. "Yeah. Everything's fine now," he said, putting an arm around her. She hugged him, a just-good-friends hug.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
5 weeks later  
  
"Your Majesty! Reports from the northern border!" a guard said, bursting into the throne room. Hotohori looked up from his discussion with his advisors. The guard handed him the reports. He skimmed through them.  
  
"Villages were attacked? Dark figures? Who exactly?" he asked sharply. "We do not know, Your Majesty." "Could it possibly be Qu-Dong?" "No, Your Highness. Our spies report that they are all within their empire's borders. These men were not Qu-Dong's."  
  
Hotohori thought for a minute. 'Who could it be?' "I want soldiers along the whole northern border. No town is to be excluded." "Yes, your Majesty." The guard bowed and left. Akina stood behind the other door, a tray in her hands. She had been passing by and overheard. "Shit!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Your Majesty!" the guard exclaimed, rushing up to him. "What? This is the second time this week that you have interrupted my meetings." "But sire! The villages! They're gone!" "What? Gone? Explain yourself!"  
  
"There were more men than last counted. There were not enough of our men." He bowed his head. He was disheveled; his clothes had a few rips and his hair was messy. It appeared that he had just come from battle. "We had to retreat, and they destroyed the villages."  
  
Hotohori absorbed the news. "More men then. I want those men stopped!" he ordered. "Yes, sire." "And clean yourself up." "Yes, Your Majesty." Once again, Akina had overheard, but this time on purpose. She bit her lip and ran to the kitchens.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"They are here! In the capital!" came cries from outside. Guards rushed into the streets, searching for the intruders. The constellations, Miaka, and Akina watched from a window. "What's happening?" Miaka asked.  
  
"There have been reports that men have been attacking, no da. They are now here, no da!" Chichiri exclaimed. They watched the fight. Suddenly, they saw them. Swarms of black heading towards the palace doors. The guards certainly had their hands full. Hotohori had also been watching.  
  
"We must seal the doors, Your Majesty!" his advisors begged him. "But my subjects are still out there! I will not desert them!" he told them. "But sire, we will be killed!" they cried. He sighed.  
  
"Seal the doors!" he called. They were shut and bolted. Suddenly, a cry came from the kitchens. The five constellations (minus Hotohori and Chiriko, remember?) and Miaka ran towards the noise. When they got there, they found everyone dead and the whole room was a mess. Suddenly, they saw black spots darting through the halls.  
  
"Spread out!" Tamahome instructed, and they each took a hallway. Tasuki ran down the one to the far right. The black intruder was very fast, and was soon almost out of sight. Tasuki struggled to catch up to him. As he turned a corner, he heard a scream.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The doors to the throne room burst open. Three figures stood outlined against the light. Two of the men stepped forward and held swords up to Hotohori's throat.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked coldly. The third man, and the biggest, stepped forward. "I believe you have something of mine?" he inquired.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Tasuki!"  
  
Tasuki stopped cold. He ran in the direction of the scream. He turned another corner and saw a man in black holding Akina. She struggled, but to no avail. "Akina!" Tasuki ran forward, but another black man intercepted him. Tasuki fought the other man, while Akina and her kidnapper escaped. Tasuki finally knocked out the man and went after Akina.  
  
He met Chichiri and Tamahome along the way, and the three of them searched for Akina. They heard commotion in the throne room and burst inside.  
  
More men appeared and held their swords to the their throats. The other door opened and the kidnapper stepped inside, holding Akina. The boss held her chin in his hand. "Ah, you tried to leave. That's a big no-no." He grinned evilly. Akina spat on him. "We'll have to deal with you when we get home," he said. He turned back to the emperor. "Farewell, Emperor." His men started to leave. He walked over to Hotohori and held his sword up to Hotohori's face. "Oh, and if you ever take something of mine again, I'll kill you." He nicked Hotohori's jaw with the tip of his sword. In a flash, they were gone through the door.  
  
Tasuki started to go after Akina, but Chichiri held him back. "No, no da! You can't catch them! We will find her later, no da!" "I'm not letting her go again!" Tasuki yelled. "What are you talking about, Tasuki?" Tamahome asked. Tasuki mentally kicked himself. He had forgotten that they didn't know; and that he didn't want them to know.  
  
Tasuki stormed out of the palace. Chichiri, Tamahome, and Hotohori stared after him, starting to put the pieces together.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Liss: Well, did you like it? I thought that this chapter was a little more exciting than the last ones. Please review! 


End file.
